First-ever Birkin bag makes history in Paris with a staggering $10 million bid

In 1984, on a Paris-London flight, actress and singer Jane Birkin confessed her handbag frustrations to Jean-Louis Dumas, then head of Hermès. As a young mother, she needed something practical—yet chic enough to suit her bohemian style. Right there in the cabin, Dumas sketched what would become the Birkin bag: a roomy, rectangular tote complete with space for baby bottles.

That first prototype, engraved with Birkin’s “J.B.” initials, stood apart from later versions with its fixed shoulder strap, built-in nail clipper, and closed metal rings. Birkin carried it everywhere, adorning it with stickers and wearing it daily for nearly a decade.

From Sidaction to Sotheby’s

Birkin auctioned off her beloved bag in 1994 to benefit Sidaction, a French charity fighting HIV/AIDS. Since then, it has changed hands twice, ultimately becoming the jewel of Parisian collector Catherine Benier’s boutique on the Left Bank.


On Thursday, after weeks of anticipation, the bidding at Sotheby’s Paris opened at one million euros—eliciting an audible gasp. Eight determined bidders battled over the phone until a private Japanese collector triumphed with a final bid of 8.58 million euros ($10 million), the highest price ever paid for a handbag.

Sotheby’s Aurelie Vassy called it “a travel bag… worn daily for nine years, yet still very beautiful.” Benier confessed she was “already very nostalgic” to part with it, though delighted it had found “a new loving home.”

Birkin’s complex legacy

This sale, Sotheby’s confirmed, also crowned the Birkin as the second-most expensive fashion item ever auctioned—surpassed only by Judy Garland’s ruby red slippers from The Wizard of Oz, which sold for $32.5 million in 2024.

Regular Birkin bags remain symbols of status and scarcity, starting around $10,000 and coveted by celebrities from Victoria Beckham to Jennifer Lopez. Their allure has sparked everything from class-action lawsuits by frustrated American shoppers to criticism over Hermès’ use of exotic leathers—a cause close to Birkin’s heart.

Though she once threatened to remove her name from the brand over animal welfare concerns, Birkin—who passed away in 2023—will be forever linked to the handbag that defined an era.

As fashion shifts away from “quiet luxury” toward what trend forecasters call “boom boom” extravagance, her original Birkin endures as a testament to timeless style, function, and the story of a woman unafraid to speak her mind—even at cruising altitude.

(With agency inputs)